Buckle or clasp for watch bracelets and the like



241 1940. c. H. KESTENMAN 2,215,527

BUCKLE OR CLASP FOR WATCH BRACELETS AND THE LIKE Filed May 3l, 1938 Patented Sept. 24, 1940 UNi'iE STATES gnam 'PA'EENT FFME BUCKLE oit einer non waren eascnmrs Ann 'ma Line Application May 3l, 1938, Serial No. 210,920

6 Claims;

This invention relates to buckles, clasps and like devices for attaching the ends of wrist watch straps, bands, bracelets and similar articles, and more particularly to improvements in devices of l the type indicated having articulated members for extending the length of the bracelet and foldable one over the other into overlying relationship to contract the bracelet.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a device of the type indicated having manually-releasable latching means for positively retaining the foldable members in contracted relationship.

Another object of they invention is to provide a device of the type indicated which is adjustable after the articulated members have been folded into overlying relationship to draw the strap or band snugly about the wrist.

Still another ob-ject of the invention is to provide an extensible fastening device of the type indicated embodied in a simple form of construction adapted for economical manufacture from sheetmetal stock, and one which efficiently performs its intended function during long periods of use Without requiring repair or replacement of its parts.

Further objects of the invention are set forth in the following specification which describes several forms of construction of the device, by Way of example, as illustrated by the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a convenitonal type of wrist-watch having a two-part bracelet attached thereto with its ends fastened together by the present improved extensible clasping device;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the clasping device showing the cover-member as partly broken away to disclose the latching means for holding the articulated members in folded relationship;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the clasp showing the finger-piece for actuating the latching means projecting laterally through an opening in the side of the cover-member;

Fig. 4 is a plan view cf the clasping device with the articulated members in unfolded or extended relationship and showing the form of the latchmember and the manner of mounting it on the base member; f

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 2 showing the laterally-projecting ear on the latch-member overlying the inturned shoulder on the side flange of the cover-member to hold the articulated members iny folded relationship;

connected thereto.

(Cl. 24--7D Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 5 showing the latch-member withdrawn to release the latch from engagement with the inturned shoulder on the cover-member;

Fig. Z is a transverse sectional View on line 'i-'l of Fig. 2 showing the manually-operable lingerpiece projecting laterally through the opening in the side flange of the cover-member;

Fig. 8 is' a top plan view of the base member in part section showing a modified form of latchmember and the manner of mounting it on the base member;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a clasp showing the cover-member partly broken away and illustrating another modied form of latching means adapted to engage both of the inturned shoulders on the depending flanges at opposite sides of the cover-member; and

Fig. l() is a transverse sectional view on line Ill-lil of Fig. 9 showing the laterally-projecting ears at opposite sides of the latch-member overlying the shoulders at the bottom of the depending side anges of the cover-member.

The present improved device comprises, in

general, a series of cooperating members which are hingedly connected at their ends to adapt them to be folded into closed relationship, one over the other, or to be opened out into extended position to lengthen the strap, band or bracelet rIhe opposite ends of the strap, band or bracelet are pivotally attached to the free ends of the device so that when the parts thereof are folded into overlying relationship the strap or the like will t the wrist; and when the folded members are opened out the bracelet will be lengthened to a considerable eX- tent to .adapt it to slide over the hand of the -wearer. An extension member may be slidably mounted on one of the articulated members to adapt the length of the clasp to be adjusted after the members have been folded one over the other into nested relationship to draw the strap or the like snugly around the wrist. The present invention particularly relates to manually-releasable latching means on one of the foldable members adapted to cooperate with vanother of the foldable members to retain the members in ccntracted relationship.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing, 2 designates a conventional type of wrist-watch having bails 3 at its sides to which the ends of the opposite bracelet-sections i and 5 are attached by means of connectors 6. The present improved extensible clasp or fastening device is herein shown as applied to use with a band or bracelet composed of articulated links, but in other cases it may be employed with a reticulated fabric or leather strap. The term bracelet is therefore herein employed in a generic sense to designate any form of band or strap. The clasp comprises three cooperating articulated members herein illustrated as a base member I il, an intermediate connecting member I I, and a top or cover-member I2. These members may be constructed as stampings struck up from sheet-metal stock and curved to conform to the contour of the wearers wrist.

The base member Ill is of channel shape being constituted by a plate I3 having side anges I4 folded upwardly therefrom. The plate-portion i3 is extended beyond the side flanges I4 at one end and curled to provide a loop I5 for connection with the end link of the bracelet-section 4. At the opposite end the side flanges I4 project beyond the plate-portion I3 to form ears I6 which are apertured to receive a hinge-pin I'I. As illustrated in Fig. 4, one of the side flanges I4 has openings II] and I9 formed therein through which the latching ear and nger-piece of a latch-member project, as will later be eX- plained.

The intermediate member II is of narrow width and substantially V-shaped form in crosssection constructed from a sheet-metal strip folded on opposite sides to provide angularlyrelated sides 25 and a central apex or rib 2l. The apex portion 2'I of the intermediate member II is slotted to provide a series of inclined ratchet-teeth 28. The opposite ends of the sheet-metal strip constituting the intermediate member II are not folded with the sides 25 but are curled to form loops 2S and 36. The loo-p 29 at one end of the intermediate member Il embraces the hinge-pin II on the base member II) and the loop 3B at the opposite end is adapted for connection with the cover-member I2.

The top member or cover I2 is constituted by a plate-portion 35 having depending side flanges 36. As shown in Fig. 5, the plate-portion 35 is arched to form a recess 31 extending throughout its length and providing guideways 33 at thel sides of the recess. The outer face of the plateportion 35 may be suitably engraved or otherwise embellished to present an ornamental appearance. The bottom portions of the side flanges 33 are folded inwardly to form narrow inturned flanges 39 parallel to the plate-portion 35 and their terminal edges are rolled or otherwise rounded whereby toprovide a bottom camming edge 4I] and upper detent shoulders 4I adapted to be engaged by the latching means, as later more fully explained. At one side of the cover-member I2 the side ange 36 is recessed or slotted as indicated at 34 to receive the finger-piece of the latching means. The intermediate member II is pivo-tally connected to the cover-member I2 by means of a hinge-pin 42 extending through the side flanges 36 of the cover-member I2 and the bearing loop 30 at the end of the intermediate member.

An extension member 43 is mounted to slide in the guideways 38 of the cover-member I2, being herein shown in the form of a skeleton rectangular frame having side rails 44 and connecting webs 45 and 46 at its opposite ends. The web 46 at the outward end of the extension member 43 is connected to the end link of the bracelet-section 5 by means of a band or loop 4l. The web 45 at the inner end of the extension member 43 is of greater width than the web 46. the material thereof being slitted and the slitted portion struck up to form an inclined resilient tongue or pawl 48 for cooperation with the ratchet-teeth 28 on the intermediate member II.

The present invention is directed particularly to the manually-releasable latching means for retaining the articulated members in folded relationship. As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 of the drawing, the latch-member 56 is mounted 0n the base member I5 and has a channel-shaped end portion 5I nested between the loop 29 at the end of the intermediate member II and the sides I4 of the base member IIJ. A spring-arm 52 of angular form in cross-section extends from the channel-shaped end portion 5I along one of the side flanges I4 in overlying relation to the plate-portion I3 of the base member I0. The spring-arm 52 has a latching ear 53 at its free end projecting through the opening I8 in the side of the member I0. A finger-piece 54 adjacent the ear 53 projects laterally through the opening I9 in the side I4 of the base member III. The latch-member 5I) is anchored in position in the base member IU by the hinge-pin I'I which extends through the upwardly-projecting sides of its channel-shaped end 5I and the ear 53 and finger-piece 54 extending through the side flange I 4 hold it down against the bottom plate I3. When the members Il] and Il are folded one over the other and nested in the cover-member I2 the arrangement is such that the laterally-projecting ear 53 on the arm 52 of the latch-member 5I) overlies the shoulder 4I on the inturned flange 39 of the cover-member I2 to positively latch the parts in folded relationship. The finger-piece 54 then projects out-` wardly through the opening 34 in the side flange 36 of the cover-member I2 to adapt it to be pressed to release the latching ear 53 from its engagement with the shoulder 4I, as illustrated in Fig. 6. One form of the invention having now been described in detail, the manner of applying the bracelet to the wrist is as next explained.

The base member II) and intermediate member II are first unfolded and the member 43 is thereby extended as illustrated in Fig. 4 to materially lengthen the bracelet so that it may be slid over the hand and onto the Wrist. To contract the length of the bracelet to fit the wrist the articulated members I 0, II and I2 are folded one over the other so that the intermediate member II lies within the side flanges I4 on the base member II] and the latter lies between the anges 36 on the cover-member I2 with its sides contiguous to the edges of the inturned ange portions 39 at the bottom of the cover-member. As the folded intermediate member II and base member I6 are pressed into the cover-memben I2 the laterally-projecting ear 53 on the latch-member 50 engages the rounded camming edge 4I) of the inturned flange 39 causing the arm 52 to yield to permit the ear to snap across the edge of the flange. After the ear 53 passes by the upper edge of the inturned flange 39 the spring-arm 52 presses the ear outwardly over the shoulder 4I to latch the members II) and II in folded nested relationship in the cover I2.

With the articulated members I0 and II nested in the cover-member I2 the ratchet-teeth 28 on the intermediate member I I underlie the pawl 48 on the extension member 43 to hold the latter against movement outwardly of the cover-member. Due to the resiliency of the pawl 48, however, the extension member 43 may be slid into the cover-member I2` to contract the length of the bracelet whereby to draw it snugly about the latching ear 53 from its engagement with the shoulder 4 l The base member lil'and intermediate member il may then be unfolded to the position illustrated in Fig. 4 to adapt .the vbracelet to be slid over the hand.

The form of Vlatching means above described is adapted for use on practically all types of extensible bracelet-clasps. In some instances, however, in order to avoid narrowing the hingebearing at the end 29 of the intermediate member li a latch-member Sil of the modied form illustrated in Fig. 8 may be used. The latchmember St is of channel shape to adapt it to be nested within the channel-shaped base member lll and has its base plate El bifurcated for a considerable portion of its length to form a spring-arm 62. The upstanding flanges 83 at the opposite sides of the base plate 6l lie in contiguous relation to the upstanding flanges i4 of the base member il) intermediate the ends thereof. The latch-member Sil is retained in -position in the base member lil by means of a lug 6d at the end of one of the side flanges 63 which projects laterally through an opening 85 in the flange lll. Opposite the lug 64 the side flange Illl of the base member lil may be indented to provide a projection 65 engaging in a recess in the flange 63 of the latch-member 6U. The opposite end of the latch-member Sli is retained in position by means of the latch-ear 6l and finger-piece 68 at one side which project outwardly from the spring-arm 52 through the openings I8 and I9 in the flange I4 of the base member l0 and also by a lug 69 projecting from the opposite side flange 53 into an opening 1B in the side flange I4 of the base member lil. The structure of the base member I8 is otherwise identical with that shown in Figs. 1 to 7 and the latching ear 64 operates in identically the same manner to latch t-he members in folded relationship.

In larger clasps adapted for use with mens watch bracelets it may be desirable to have a pair of latching ears engageable with the shoulders 4l on the inturned flanges 39 at the opposite sides of the cover-member l2. As illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, a modied form 'of latch-member 8!) may be employed for this purpose. The latch-member 8D is channel shaped with its base plate bifurcated for a considerable portion of its length to provide opposite spring-arms 83 and 84 positioned in contiguous relationship to the opposite side flanges it on the base member I0. The spring-arms S3 and lill are provided with laterally-extending latching ears 85 and 86 and lingerpieces 87 and 8S, respectively, which project outwardly through openings i8 and i9 in the opposite side anges lil in the base member I0. The ears 85 and 86 are adapted to snap across the camming edges 4Q of the inturned anges 39 on the cover-member l2 when the base member lil is pressed thereinto to engage and overlie the shoulders il to latch the articulated members in folded relationship as illustrated in Fig. l0. With this latter form of construction it is necessary to simultaneously release both of the ears S and S6 by pressing against the finger-pieces 8l and 88 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 9 t9 permit the base member lil and intermediate member Il to be unfolded outwardly of the cover-member l2.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the present form of clasping device provides for unfolding and folding a plurality of articulated members to extend and contract the length of a bracelet to adapt it to be passed over the hand and fitted to the wrist and the extension member further provides for a minute adjustment to snugly draw the bracelet about the wrist. It will further be observed that the invention provides improved latching means for positively retaining the articulated members in folded relationship toprevent the clasp from being acci-y dently opened. It Will still further be observed that the invention provides a clasp which is of simple and compact construction to adapt it for economical manufacture from sheet-metal stampings.

While I have herein shown and described three y forms of construction of the device, by way of example, it is to be understood that further modifications may be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts thereof without depart'- ing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect,

I claim:

1. A clasping device of the type indicated comprising a channel-shaped base member, an intermediate member, a cover-member having a depending side flange With an inturned edge-portion, said members being hingedly connected and adapted to bel folded one over the other into contracted relationship, and a latch-member having Va channel-shaped end `nested between the base member and the end of the intermediate member and provided with a-spring-arm extending along the side wall of the base member with an ear at its end projecting through an opening in said side Wall, said ear being engageable with the inturned edge-portion of the side flange on the cover-member to retain the members in folded relationship.

2. A clasping device of the type indicated comprising a channel-shaped base member, a latch-member having a channel-shaped end nested in the base member and a spring-arm extending along the side wall of the base member with an ear at its end projecting laterally through an opening in said side wall, said spring-arm having a laterally-projecting linger-piece adjacent the ear, an intermediate member having one end disposed in the channel-shaped end of the latch-member, a pin extending through said end of the latch-member and intermediate member to hingedly connect the latter to the base member and retain the latch member in' position therein, and a cover-member hingedly connected to the opposite end of the intermediate member and having a depending flange with an inturned edge-portion, said members being foldable one over the other into nested relationship in the cover-member and said laterally-extending ear on the latch-member engaging the inturned edgeportion of the side flange on the cover-member to retain the members in folded relationship.

3. A clasping device of the type indicated comprising a channel-shaped base member, an intermediate member, a cover-member having a depending side flange with an inturned edge-portion, said members being hingedly interconnected and adapted to be folded one over the other into nested relationship, and a channel-shapedlatching member nested in the base member and secured thereto by lugs extending laterally into openings in the sides of the base member, said channel-shaped latching member having a spring-arm With an ear projecting laterally from its free end through an opening in the side of the base member for engagement with the inturned edge-portion of the flange on the covermember to retain the members in folded relationship, and a finger-piece projecting from the spring-arm and manually-operable to release the latching ear. v

4. A clasping device of the type indicated comprising a channel-shaped base member, an intermediate member, a cover-member having depending side anges With inturned edge-portions, said members being hingedly interconnected and adapted to be folded oneover the other into nested relationship, and a latch-member on the base member having a pair of spring-arms extending along the sides of the base member with laterally-projecting ears at their ends engageable with the inturne'd edge-portions of the depending side flanges of the cover-member to retain the members in folded nested relationship, and nger-pieces projecting from the opposite spring-arms to adapt them to be manually operated to release the ears from engagement with the inturned edge-portions of the flanges on the cover-member.

5. A clasping device of the type indicated comprising a channel-shaped base member, an intermediate member, a cover-member having depending side flanges with a detent shoulder on one of said side anges, said members being hingedly interconnected and adapted to be folded one over they other into nested relationship, a

latch-member on the base member having a spring-arm extending along one side thereof with an ear projecting through the side flange of the base member to adapt it to engage with the detent shoulder on the side flange of the covermember to retain the members in folded nested relationship, and manually-operable means at the outside -of the cover-member operatively associated with the spring-arm to move the latter to release its laterally-projecting ear from engagement with the shoulder on the flange of the cover-member.

6. A clasping device of the type indicated comprising a channel-shaped base member, an intermediate member, a cover-member having a depending side iiange With a detent ledge projecting inwardly therefrom, said members being hingedly interconnected and adapted to be folded one over the other into nested relationship, a latching member on the base member comprising a spring-arm with an ear projecting laterally from its free end through an opening in the side a iiange of the base member for engagement with the detent ledge on the cover-member to retain the members in folded relationship, and manually-operable means projecting from the side of the cover-member and operatively associated With the spring-arm to move the latter to release its ear from engagement with the ledge on the flange of the cover-member.

CHARLES H. KESTENMAN. 

